Think your side is any better?

I know I’ve written about clickbait before – about waiting to find out facts before screeching, and about not getting your news from Internet memes. Yesterday’s debacle at a Trump rally was a perfect example of the kind of stupid that epitomizes this election season.

If you haven’t heard, there was a commotion at a Trump rally yesterday. A commotion. We’ve seen protesters at those events before. Many of them – as revealed in multiple reports and leaks – were instigated by the Clinton camp. This is nothing new.

Trump was rushed off the stage, because a disturbance broke out. You know what numerous sub-morons in some “media” outlets reported? An assassination attempt.

You know what the Trump campaign immediately touted, because its candidate is oh-so-victimized, and subsequently oh-so-courageous to get right back in the game? An assassination attempt.

You know what it really was? Some guy with a sign that said, “REPUBLICANS AGAINST TRUMP.”

Members of the audience at the event for the GOP presidential nominee tackled Austyn Crites, 33, of Reno after someone yelled “gun” while others were trying to rip away his anti-Trump sign.

“I just went with sign that said ‘Republicans Against Trump,’ ” Crites said. “It’s a sign that you can find online. I held up the sign and initially people around me were just booing me telling me to get out of there. Then a couple of these guys tried grabbing the sign out of my hands.”

Crites had no weapon. Secret Service agents later released a statement to that effect and let him go without charges.

But I guess it’s too much to ask for the obvious clickbaiters to actually wait for the facts to come out. My social media timeline was immediately filled with “ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT!” stories.

I’m also amazed that – once again – so many otherwise intelligent people refuse to fact check before posting outrageous crap, because drama for their candidate is a selling point.

Oh, he’s so brave for continuing the speech even after an “assassination attempt!” See what a courageous President he’ll make?

Look how reviled he is merely for speaking truth to power! The Democrats are scared of him! That’s why they’re trying to intimidate him!

Look how committed he is to his supporters, coming back to speak after an attack!

Fact is, this guy showed up as a protester, peaceably protested, was booed by Trump supporters, and then “someone” screamed that he had a gun (which was absolutely false), and the chimps dogpiled him. Hard.

And without knowing all the facts, the die hard lunatics proceeded to advance the “assassination attempt” narrative.

Much like with any shooting, people are desperate for the incident to fit the narrative. It’s been proven time and time again, that the media jumps in face first into a story without getting all the facts, and is forced to retract and update in order to get the story right.

But no. Because it doesn’t fit the narrative. It’s just not dramatic enough to just have a protester at a rally.

This is not about whose candidate is better, although, I’m fully expecting a bunch of comments about how Hillary supporters are so much worse, without acknowledging that this kind of ignorance happens on both sides.

The desperation on both sides is palpable!

It seems the closer we get to Election Day, the more garbage the Internet spews out, and the more people immediately grab the first story they see that fits their preconceived notions and promote it as fact.

I would submit to you that most people have made up their minds about their vote (or non-vote) in this election, and acting like an ignorant shit weasel about others’ choices by refusing to do your research and spreading the first fucktastic clickbait trash you see that supports your view in this impossibly awful election will not endear you to anyone, and will likely result in people you ostensibly respect turning away from you, thinking you’re a shit-flinging moron.

If you’re OK with this, go ahead and continue trying to convince your friends and family with Internet memes, erroneous “news” stories, and downright false clickbait garbage about how much better your candidate is than theirs. The only person you will be embarrassing is yourself, and the only result will be the loss of relationships with friends and loved ones, because you’re acting like a moron.

The bottom line is, stop letting the age of infotainment control your common sense! Wait for the facts. Stop jumping to conclusions without having accurate information. Read primary sources when possible. Get corroborative reporting. Ensure your initial source is one that’s reliable, not something that screams, “BREAKING NEWS! FBI Shocking Evidence…” or “Was The Protester Who Forced Trump Off NV Stage A Hillary Provocateur?”

(Trumpanzees screeching it’s all Hillary’s minions trying to destroy Trump, as if Republicans who wouldn’t cast a vote in his direction if he was running against Satan himself don’t exist, in 3…2…1… Go ahead. Get it out of your systems now, boys and girls.)

And most of all, try not to act like a paranoid, barely educated shit weasel.